Deepwater Oil Containment Methods and Structures, Underwater Oil Containment Bubbles, Domes, Tents, Bags and Other Flexible Structures

ABSTRACT

Large-volume oil containment bubbles, domes, tents, silos and other flexible structures are provided, especially using an oil-impermeable, water-permeable material such as uncoated nylon. A relatively light-weight flexible structure can be arrayed at sea surface, and dispatched downwards to deepwater such as by adding weighting pellets in hollow region(s).

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/350,001 filed May 31, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to underwater oil containment especially containing deepwater sea floor oil emergencies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In April 2010, a BP oil drilling operation suffered a disaster resulting in a major underwater oil discharge. Even after a number of weeks, the deepwater oil discharge was still ongoing. Large quantities of oil escaped from the vicinity of the disaster site coordinates and traveled to various places. Escaped oil is in plain view many miles away from the drilling operation coordinates, in water and coastal areas and on wildlife.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention solves the problem of containing an underwater oil discharge, particularly by using a relatively-flexible oil-impermeable, water-permeable material (such as, e.g., a fabric, an uncoated nylon material, etc.) to contain the oil discharge at its source.

In one preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method of containing an underwater oil discharge, comprising: disposing a containment product comprising an oil impermeable, water-permeable material, to thereby enclose the underwater oil discharge; such as, e.g. inventive methods wherein the containment product is essentially without a base or floor, and the method includes lowering the containment product from a starting point above the underwater oil discharge until the containment product and a sea floor in a vicinity of the oil discharge form a closed shape and define a contained volume; inventive methods including containing an active oil discharge at sea floor; inventive methods including a step performed relative to an underwater oil discharge and selected from the group consisting of: doming over; tenting over; forming a bubble and forming a silo over; inventive methods further comprising evacuating oily water or oily product from the contained volume via a port in the containment product; inventive methods including lowering the containment product from a sea surface downwards towards the underwater oil discharge; inventive methods wherein the containment product comprises a weighted skirt and the disposing includes the containment product traveling from a sea surface downwards towards the underwater oil discharge; inventive methods including an assembling step before the disposing step, wherein the assembling step is performed at a sea surface or in shallow water; inventive methods including an assembling step performed in shallow water followed by transporting the containment product to be used in the disposing step towards the underwater oil discharge; and other inventive methods.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method of containing an underwater oil discharge, comprising: lowering a container that consists substantially of an oil-impermeable material (such as, e.g., an oil impermeable flexible material) into place to form a containment volume, thereby containing oil, such as, e.g., inventive methods wherein the lowering step comprises doming-over, tenting-over, bubbling-over or bagging-over the underwater oil discharge; inventive methods including performing the lowering step and containing a deepwater oil discharge in which failed or damaged equipment is involved, without performing direct work on the equipment; and other inventive methods.

The invention in another preferred embodiment provides a containment product for an underwater oil discharge (such as, e.g., a deepwater oil discharge), comprising: i) an oil-impermeable material formed into a shape; ii) at least one mass attached to the shape; such as, e.g., inventive containment products further comprising at least one buoy or bladder system; inventive containment products including at least one detachable buoy; inventive containment products wherein the shape defined by the oil-impermeable material is substantially water permeable; inventive containment products further comprising at least one attachment for a positioning cable that moves the containment product in a plane parallel to a sea floor; inventive containment products further comprising at least one port, shaped to receive a pipe or tubing through which travels oily water or oily product; and other inventive oil containment products.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention provides an open-ended oil containment structure useable to contain an underwater oil discharge at a sea floor, comprising: an oil-impermeable container section; an open bottom end, wherein when the containment structure contacts the sea floor, a containment volume is formed; such as, e.g., inventive containment structures further comprising at least one hollow section (such as, e.g., a hollow shaft; a hollow skirt; etc.) into which may be received weighting pellets or other masses; inventive oil containment structures comprising weighting pellets or other masses; inventive oil containment structures comprising at least one port that is connectible to tubing or piping through which oily water exits from the containment volume and/or connectible to an underwater oil containment bag that receives oily water exiting from the oil containment volume; inventive oil containment structures comprising a plurality of ports; inventive oil containment structures wherein the oil-impermeable container section is water permeable; inventive oil containment structures wherein the oil-impermeable container section includes a top part that is water permeable; inventive oil containment structures wherein the oil-impermeable container section comprises a water-permeable uncoated nylon material; inventive oil containment structures wherein the container section is sized and shaped that the containment volume when the containment structure contacts the sea floor is at least a million gallons; and other inventive containment structures.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides a method of containing an underwater oil discharge (such as a deepwater oil discharge) in which damaged or failed equipment is involved, comprising: constructing a containment volume in a vicinity of the equipment, thereby containing the oil discharge without needing to perform any direct work on the equipment.

The invention in another preferred embodiment provides an oil containment structure useable in deepwater in cooperation with a sea floor, wherein the oil containment structure when in contact with the sea floor has a containment volume of over a million gallons.

In another preferred embodiment the invention provides for a method of containing an an underwater (such as, e.g., a deepwater) oil discharge that is at or near a sea floor, comprising: using the sea floor as a wall in conjunction with an open-ended flexible, relatively light-weight structure to form an oil containment volume (such as, e.g., an oil containment volume of at least a million gallons, an oil containment volume of at least 10 million gallons, etc.).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The invention may be appreciated with reference to the following figures, without the invention being limited thereto. Figures are not drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a top view of an inventive oil containment structure deployable for underwater use to an underwater oil discharge site (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inventive oil containment structure 10 of FIG. 1 after having been deployed to the underwater oil discharge site.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing use of an inventive port 4 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, in close-up, showing an alternative use to that of FIG. 4 of an inventive port 4, namely use of an inventive port 4 in which oily product is off-loaded to a containment bag 50.

FIG. 6 is a representational perspective view of pertinent dimensions when containing unwanted oil discharge 100 in a vicinity of sea floor 101 according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary inventive embodiment comprising a dome-shaped containment shape and a skirt.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary inventive embodiment comprising a cylindrical shaped containment shape and hollow shafts capable of receiving weighting pellets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 6, the invention provides for containing, in a certain underwater containment volume, an unwanted oil discharge 100 that occurs in a vicinity of sea floor 101. Oil discharge 100 in one example is emerging from destroyed or broken equipment 102 on sea floor 101. Equipment 102 has a maximum width or diameter d in a plane parallel to sea floor 101. Equipment 102 has a maximum height h above the sea floor 101. The shape shown for equipment 102 is representational, and equipment 102 may have any shape including an irregular shape. The invention also is directed to the case without equipment 102 (i.e., d=0, h=0), where oil discharge 100 emerges directly from sea floor 101.

For providing a base of an underwater containment volume, a dimension d1 (FIG. 6) is used, d1 being substantially greater than d, and d1 being such that a circle of diameter d1 or a square of sides d1 will clear equipment 102.

For a height of an underwater containment volume, a dimension h1 (FIG. 6) is used, h1 being substantially taller than h.

An inventive containment product is constructed, wherein the inventive containment product is sized and shaped to cooperate with sea floor 101 to form an underwater containment volume around equipment 102 and oil discharge 100. The inventive containment product preferably is constructed generally along the lines of what on land might be called an air-supported dome (e.g., a Yeadon air-supported dome) or a tent. The inventive containment product preferably has a collapsed form, before being put into use. The inventive containment product in its expanded form in underwater use provides a large containment volume around oil discharge 100 and equipment 102.

Examples of an open bottom of an inventive containment product are, e.g., a circular open bottom of diameter d1; a square open bottom with sides d1; etc.

Examples of a containment shape (in usage at sea floor 101) are, e.g., a silo having height h1; a cylinder having height 1; a tent having sides of height h1; a pyramid having height h1; a dome having height h1; a rain hat shape having height h1; a composite shape having height at least h1; an irregular shape having height at least h1; etc.

The containment shape used for the inventive containment product consists of an oil impermeable material. Preferably the containment shape used for the inventive containment product comprises a water-permeable, oil-impermeable material, such as, e.g., a water-permeable, oil-impermeable uncoated nylon material; etc.

By “oil impermeable”, what is meant herein is that through which the solid and liquid components of oil do not pass in substantial quantity. The passage of methane (CH₄) molecules through a material is not considered to disqualify material from being “oil impermeable”. The passage of a small number of occasional molecules of other components of oil, as may happen through seepage in above-ground oil storage, is not considered to disqualify a material from being “oil impermeable”.

An example of a water-permeable, oil-impermeable material is, e.g., a material having openings or pores slightly larger than the size of water molecules but without larger openings or pores.

Preferably an underwater containment volume is, e.g., millions of gallons, or more.

Preferably an inventive containment product includes at least one port for evacuating oily water, such as port 4 (FIG. 1). Most preferably a plurality of ports for evacuating oily water are included. Evacuation of oily water away from the oil discharge 100 and the containment volume may be, e.g., by pumping out through the port; by opening the port onto an exit channel through which oily water may travel into a containment bag such as bag 50 (FIG. 5); etc.

Advantageously, a relatively light-weight inventive flexible structure (such as, e.g., a large-volume oil containment bubble, dome, tent, silo, etc., preferably a flexible structure comprising an oil-impermeable, water-permeable material such as uncoated nylon) is arrayed at sea surface, and dispatched progressively downwards to deepwater such as by adding weighting pellets in at least one hollow region (such as, e.g., a hollow shaft, a hollow skirt, etc.) of the flexible structure.

An inventive containment product preferably includes hook-ups for cable attachments for horizontally positioning the product, especially horizontal positioning during downwards travel of the product towards oil discharge 100. In one embodiment, the arraying of the flexible structure at sea surface may be performed in shallow water followed by pulling the array out to sea over oil discharge 100, followed by causing the flexible structure to descend downwards to deep water. In another embodiment, the arraying of the flexible structure at sea surface may be performed at sea relatively near to coordinates of oil discharge 100, followed by causing the flexible structure to descend downwards to deep water.

Advantageously, inventive oil containment products and methods may be “off-the-shelf” and useable relatively quickly in a variety of oil discharge 100 contexts, including those in deepwater, and regardless of, for example, exactly where in an existing product a failure may have happened.

Also advantageously, inventive oil containment products and methods are useable in a training context in advance of an emergency.

Further, advantageously when using the invention, performance of work (such as by underwater robotic vehicles) at areas of extremely high pressure right at oil discharge 100 and broken equipment 102 can be avoided.

The invention may be appreciated with reference to the following examples, without the invention being limited thereto.

Example 1

In this inventive example, referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, system 11 comprises an oil containment structure 10 (FIG. 3) deployable for underwater use to an underwater oil discharge site (such as, e.g., oil discharge 100 (FIG. 6)), and consists essentially of an oil impermeable material 1, a weighted perimeter region 2, and a buoyant counter-balancing system 3. The system 11 (FIG. 1) is the containment structure 10 (FIG. 3) plus the buoyant counter-balancing system 3.

The oil impermeable material 1 most preferably is also water-permeable.

Shape-wise, the oil impermeable material 1 preferably is non-planar and in underwater use assumes a three-dimensional shape, e.g., a bag, a bubble, a dome, a tent, a silo, etc. In FIG. 1, the oil impermeable material 1 is shown as having a circular perimeter but the invention is not limited to embodiments with circular perimeters.

The weighted perimeter region 2 preferably is integral with the oil impermeable material 1. Weighted perimeter region 2 has a total mass sufficient to hold the oil impermeable material 1 in relatively static position over an underwater oil discharge site (such as oil discharge 100 in FIG. 6).

Buoyant counter-balancing system 3 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a set of detachable buoys that counter-balance weighted perimeter 2 when at a surface of a body of water, but counter-balancing system 3 is not limited to a set of detachable buoys and other buoyancy measures may be used, such as, e.g., deflating air bladders, etc., which may be detachable from or integral with the weighted perimeter region 2. Also, counter-balancing system 3 is not limited to a position as shown in FIG. 1, but may be, for example, underneath other parts of system 11. For example, buoyant counter-balancing system 3 may comprise a series of raft-like platforms connected to each other, with the rest of the system 11 resting atop the raft-like platforms, with outer-most raft-like platforms capable of being deflated and removed (such as, e.g., by being dragged away) in order for the rest of system 11 to proceed downwards through the water, with system 11 being progressively reduced at to buoyancy.

Preferably, the oil containment structure 10 (FIG. 3) includes at least one port 4 (FIGS. 1, 3) capable of receiving a pipe or tubing, and preferably includes a plurality of ports 4.

In FIG. 3, the oil containment structure 10 is shown deployed at an underwater oil discharge 100 site. In FIG. 3, buoyant counter-balancing system 3 are illustrated as buoys that were detached from the oil containment structure 10 to permit the containment structure 10 to travel downwards through the seawater in a direction of the underwater oil discharge site. Alternately, a non-detaching buoyant counter-balancing system may be used such as, e.g., bladders. Preferably, the buoyant counter-balancing system 3 is detached in parts or otherwise controllably from the containment structure 10, and as the structure 10 travels downwards underwater, the structure 10's position is assessed and the structure 10 is moved as needed to be headed towards the oil discharge 100 site. For moving the containment structure 10 into position over the underwater oil discharge 100 site, preferably the containment structure 10 includes a series of hook-ups (not shown) for positioning cables (not shown).

Containment structure 10 when weighted perimeter 2 is in contact with a sea floor defines a volume which is an inventive containment volume. When containment structure 10 initially contacts the sea floor, the contained volume defined by the structure comprises somewhat oily water. As the oil discharge continues with the containment structure 10 in place, water molecules exit via where the material 1 is water-permeable, but oil is prevented from exiting and remains within the contained volume. As more oil is discharged and occupies the contained volume, relatively more water molecules will be expelled from, than will enter, the contained volume, and pressure management preferably is performed.

To manage the pressure as the oil content increases in the contained volume, port 4 receives pipe or tubing 5 (FIG. 4) through which is evacuated a volume of oily product from the contained volume, such as, e.g., to a controlled processing station or container 6.

Example 1A

In this inventive example, as shown in FIG. 5, port 4 receives pipe or tubing 5 through which travels a volume of oily product from the contained volume to a bag 50 such as, preferably, an oil impermeable, water-permeable bag.

Advantageously, a bag 50 may be used at a deepwater location, so that a plurality of bags 50 each bag 50 connected to a respective port 4 can service an underwater oil discharge 100 even when a processing station 6 on a water surface may be required to detach and travel to safety due to approaching bad weather.

Example 2

In this inventive example, referring to FIG. 7, an inventive containment product 7 comprises a containment dome 70 having a circular open bottom 71 of diameter d1 and having a height h1. Preferably dome 70 comprises an oil impermeable, water-permeable material such as an uncoated nylon material.

The inventive product 7 of this example comprises skirt 72 attached to containment dome 70. Skirt 72 preferably is hollow, and may contain air when the product 72 is on a water surface, and may receive a quantity of masses (such as, e.g., weighting pellets, etc.) to accomplish controllable lowering of the product 7 from a water surface down to a sea floor 101.

Example 3

In this inventive example, referring to FIG. 8, an inventive containment product 8 is cylindrical having height h1, having a circular open bottom 81 of diameter d1, and a top 80. Preferably top 80 comprises an oil impermeable, water-permeable material such as an uncoated nylon material.

The inventive product 8 of this example comprises hollow shafts 82. Shafts 82 may extend along the height h1 of the product 80 as shown in FIG. 8, or may be shorter than height h1. The number of shafts 82 is not particularly limited and product 8 may be constructed with various numbers of shafts 82.

Shaft 82 comprises opening 83 through which masses (such as, e.g., weighting pellets) are received, to accomplish controllable lowering of the product 8 down to a sea floor 101.

Shaft bottom end 84 may be provided with a shaft floor so that weighting pellets accumulate in shaft 82. Alternately, shaft bottom end 84 may be provided with a shaft bottom opening so that weighting pellets pass into a hollow skirt (not shown) and accumulate in the skirt.

Shafts 82 and hollow skirt (if any) are provided so that the total volume of the shafts 82 and hollow skirt (if any) is sufficient to receive enough mass (such as, e.g. weighting pellets) for the product 8 to generally transport itself downwards, as weight is delivered into it, to the depth of sea water at which the product 8 is to be used for oil containment of oil discharge 100.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1-2. (canceled)
 3. An open-ended oil containment structure useable to contain an underwater oil discharge at a sea floor, comprising: an oil-impermeable container section; an open bottom end, wherein when the containment structure contacts the sea floor, a containment volume is formed, at least one hollow shaft into which may be received weighting pellets or other masses.
 4. The oil containment structure of claim 3, comprising weighting pellets or other masses.
 5. The oil containment structure of claim 3, comprising at least one port that is connectible to tubing or piping through which oily water exits from the containment volume and/or connectible to an underwater oil containment bag that receives oily water exiting from the oil containment volume.
 6. The oil containment structure of claim 3, comprising a plurality of ports.
 7. The oil containment structure of claim 3, wherein the oil-impermeable container section is water permeable.
 8. The oil containment structure of claim 3, the container section being sized and shaped that the containment volume when the containment structure contacts the sea floor is at least a million gallons.
 9. A method of containing an underwater oil discharge, comprising: from a starting point above the underwater oil discharge, lowering a containment product comprising an oil impermeable, water-permeable material and at least one hollow section into which may be received weighting pellets, including adding weighting pellets into the at least one hollow section and thereby dispatching the containment product progressively downwards to deepwater; disposing the containment product to enclose the underwater oil discharge.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the containment product is essentially without a base or floor, and the method includes lowering the containment product from the starting point above the underwater oil discharge until the containment product and a sea floor in a vicinity of the oil discharge form a closed shape and define a contained volume.
 11. The method of claim 10, including containing an active oil discharge at sea floor.
 12. The method of claim 9, including a step performed relative to an underwater oil discharge and selected from the group consisting of: doming over; tenting over; forming a bubble and forming a silo over.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising evacuating oily water or oily product from the contained volume via a port in the containment product.
 14. The method of claim 9, including lowering the containment product from a sea surface downwards towards the underwater oil discharge.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the containment product comprises a weighted skirt and the disposing includes the containment product traveling from a sea surface downwards towards the underwater oil discharge.
 16. The method of claim 9, including an assembling step before the disposing step, wherein the assembling step is performed at a sea surface or in shallow water.
 17. The method of claim 16, including an assembling step performed in shallow water followed by transporting the containment product to be used in the disposing step towards the underwater oil discharge.
 18. A method of containing an underwater oil discharge, comprising: lowering a container that consists substantially of an oil-impermeable flexible material into place to form a containment volume, thereby containing oil.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the lowering step comprises doming-over, tenting-over, bubbling-over or bagging-over the underwater oil discharge.
 20. The method of claim 18, including performing the lowering step and thereby containing a deepwater oil discharge in which failed or damaged equipment is involved, without performing direct work on the equipment.
 21. The method of claim 9, comprising, for a containment product that has been arrayed at sea surface, adding weighting pellets in the at least one hollow region wherein the containment product is dispatched progressively downwards to deepwater.
 22. The method of claim 9, including adding weighting pellets into hollow shafts that extend along the height of the containment product. 